A Chronicle of Fate
by WhizkidHV
Summary: History states that the Eight Heroes and the Divine Weapons ended the Scouring. But is that true? It's hard to believe that the tide of war could shift so suddenly. The truth lies in the forgotten ninth hero. Follow his legacy as a new story begins. (Scrapped)


A/N: So hello there again. Took a look at some of my old story ideas and this one popped up. It looked fun to write, so here it is. I'm probably going to put Scattered Memories on hiatus for a while in favor of this, so I'm sorry if you were waiting. But I might just work on both at the same time as well. Meh, I need more work on first person anyway. Well, here you go. Enjoy.

_Chapter 0: The Prologue_

History tells of a time far in the past when dragons and men coexisted. They shared a peace forged in wisdom, one that lasted many generations. That was lost when mankind broke the peace in a sudden onslaught against the dragons. Man fought dragon in a savage war that shook the foundation of their world. This war was called the Scouring.

In the beginning, the war was completely one sided. The dragons' vast strength and power easily trumped the humans' feeble strength and weapons. But... this would not last. While the dragons' strength was near limitless, their numbers were not. For every battle they fought, the dragons lost another while the losses of the humans were replaced within a few years. Because of this, the dragons were weakened, although they were still able to keep the war at a stalemate.

Years passed and the dragons became desperate. If they did not counter the ability of the humans to quickly reproduce, their demise was inevitable. And so they did the unthinkable: they took their strongest sacred dragon, dragons that were almighty in their own right, and turned her into a demon dragon, one able to mass produce dragons for the war. With this, the tide of war turned as the humans could no longer match the dragons' strength with their numbers.

At this point, it seemed that the dragons would finally triumph over humans… until the humans decided to combine their greatest technology and magic. The products of this combination were the eight Divine Weapons. These weapons were given to the strongest of mankind at the time, those that would later be known as the eight heroes of Elibe: Roland, Hanon, Durban, Athos, St. Elimine, Barigan, Brammimond, and Hartmut.

With these mighty weapons and valiant heroes, the dragons were eventually forced into another realm through the Dragon's Gate. This is the story that has been passed down generation through generation.

But… it makes one wonder. Though the divine weapons were mighty and the heroes strong, mankind could not shift the tide of war that quickly. They may have gained a temporary advantage, but the weapons and heroes would have been no match against the full might of the dragons.

No, there was another reason why it was the humans who won the Scouring, a fact that has long been forgotten to history: the ninth hero.

This particular hero did not fight. In fact, he could wield neither the lightest weapon nor cast the weakest spell. Why then was he the reason that the humans won against the dragons? It's quite simple. He was the one who led mankind against the wrath of the dragons.

His strategies were flawless, his tactics unpredictable and devastating. No man or dragon alive could match his intellect. With his mind alone, he effectively countered the dragons' strength and prevented mankind from being eradicated.

It was he who thought of combining man's greatest magic and technology to create the divine weapons. It was he who found the ones who wielded the weapons and would later become the eight heroes. And it was he who guided the new heroes in the final battle that would force dragons to concede defeat and leave Elibe.

The eight heroes received many rewards and accolades once they returned from the war. Roland was perhaps the most well-known for founding Lycia, although the others were famous in their own right.

Why then, was this ninth hero forgotten? There are no records of his existence, no accounts of his feats. He was never mentioned by any of the eight heroes, nor did they state that they had another comrade in their battle against the dragons. Why did he, the one who was responsible for mankind's victory, become forgotten to the ages?

It was because of his wish. To be forgotten from the ages, free of the burden that a hero carries… A modest wish that would have made him the king of Elibe had the people known. However, this wish was told only to his closest allies, the eight heroes that he trusted to guide Elibe through the rest of its journey. Shortly after, he vanished.

The greatest man to ever exist, the one who accomplished the most, was completely erased from history and the memories of people…

The only hint that he ever existed lies in the frigid mountains of Ilia where the great hero Barigan settled. A small village rests in the valley of the Snow Dragon Mountains. It is here that the greatest of the heroes settled. His descendants have lived in peace for near a millennium, though they have not forgotten their legacy.

It is here in the village of Arminius that a new hero is born, one who will lead a new set of heroes in another chronicle of fate, one that would later be known as… The Blazing Sword.

* * *

><p>Arminius was a small village. It's no surprise considering that it was tucked within the Snow Dragon Mountains, the mountains that most travelers fear to tread. A local chapel, bar, school, and about a dozen small homes were all that it had. Still, the villagers enjoy living there despite being isolated from the rest of the world. The only news of the outside comes from the weekly supply visits by Pegasus Knights and the few villagers who left to become mercenaries.<p>

Though small, Arminius was a beautiful village. Snow lilies and other flowers bloom year round, making the town look ethereal and fairy-like. Those few that see Arminius can scarcely believe they are in Ilia.

A worn dirt path connects each building, eventually leading to the school at the end of the village. During the day, the local residents trudge along this path towards their daily chores. At night, it is empty as the villagers preferred to stay within the warmth of their homes. But tonight, a single man walks along the path.

* * *

><p>Alistair pulled his cloak closer to his body as he paced along the worn dirt path. His wife had gone into labor earlier that day and he had been promptly kicked out of the house at the same time. With nothing to do, he decided to take a walk around town. That had quickly devolved to nervous pacing as hours passed and his wife was still in labor. Friends and neighbors greeted him and offered him words of comfort but he couldn't help but worry. It was the birth of his first child after all.<p>

As he continued to pace he heard someone say, "Ah, Alistair. Still worried I see."

Alistair turned to see a young man with short purple hair wearing smart looking robes and a monocle.

"Ah Canas," Alistair said. "I thought you had an errand to do for your mother. Something about picking flowers?"

Canas shook his head. "Herbs. Not flowers, herbs. They're for your wife actually."

"Oh really? What for?"

"Just some herbs to help her and the baby."

"I see."

Canas polished his monocle. As he did, it began snowing. Alistair shivered and looked up at the sky. Canas followed his gaze.

"…Snow?" Canas said. "But it's never snowed here before…"

Alistair nodded. "That's right. It hasn't for decades. Now is this an omen? Or a blessing?"

As he said those words, the night's silence was broken by a baby's wail. Canas smiled at Alistair and said, "Well, let's go see."

Alistair could only give a weak smile in return.

* * *

><p>Alistair stood in front of his home with Canas behind him. To say he was nervous would be an understatement. His legs were weak and he couldn't muster the strength to open the door.<p>

Canas sighed. "Alistair," he started. "Don't you want to meet your first child?"

"I-" Alistair's reply was cut off by the door slamming open. An elderly woman stood in the doorway. She had long, scraggly gray hair and wore a dark shawl.

"Oh? Alistair, I was just about to get you. Come see your new children."

Alistair gave a curt nod and a short, "Thank you Niime," before heading off to his wife's side.

Canas remained and gave his mother a questioning look. "Children?" he asked. "I thought that you said he would have a son."

Niime gave a weary sigh. "I don't know dear. I thought he would, and you know my predictions are rarely wrong."

Canas gave his mother a reassuring smile. "Even the hermit of the mountain can be wrong sometimes. Now let's go and leave the new family to themselves."

With that, Canas walked out along the path again with his mother following. As she did, she noticed the snow falling and muttered, "Snow huh?"


End file.
